The deregulation and globalization of financial markets and the introduction of new information technologies have brought about deep changes in the banking industry. Banks have lost market share in many industrial countries and their average return on capital is decreasing. The objective of this book is to explore the role of banks and financial markets in the new financial services industry, and the strategic options that banks may want to explore to cope with the competitive threat. The book explores the strategic changes implemented by fourteen banks in six countries.